[bluemark]

Originally Posted by harperium

using a flat-head screw driver i was to pop them out without too much difficulty and without damaging anything.

Do you just pop out the center of the plug, or the whole thing?

[harperium]

Originally Posted by bluemark

Do you just pop out the center of the plug, or the whole thing?

I popped out the whole tab - the only way to peel back the insulation. I left the tabs out too - will make it easier to put the fuses back in if I need to

[Zero71]

Originally Posted by bluemark

Do you just pop out the center of the plug, or the whole thing?

The centre of the plug, it unlocks the tab then it pops out. I just did the lower rear corner, it was enough to be able to lift it up and access the fuse.

[plainmaster]

Originally Posted by harperium

'19 X3 M40i with HK audio

Cold start, I set the car to Sport, let it warm up a few minutes. Turned off car, pulled the fuses (in a garage that was about 50 *F). No check engine lights or other alarms. I confirmed that the driver's side exhaust is open in all modes.

With Fuse 203 removed, the 30-second cold start phase is a LOT louder.

The natural engine and exhaust sound is a little deeper and a little louder all around. Still quiet, but a bit louder which is good. Driving around in a parking garage with the windows down, the M40i sounds like it finally has a sport exhaust. Windows up, it's quiet but you can hear the growl.

In low-speed driving around town (Fuse 203 pulled, ASD off), the growl of the B58 is more noticeable and more enjoyable, and the sound you hear isn't "inside the car" but from behind the car. At highway cruising speeds, the M40i is basically quiet in all modes. Only when you get on the throttle do you hear the engine.... but that's not a bad thing, as long as you hear the engine when you need it.

For those who haven't tried turning off ASD, the most surprising part is how much of the sound you hear in the cabin is actually ASD. Like when you hit Sport/Sport+ and the noise gets louder and you think it's because a valve opened? Nope. All synthetic ASD sound. Which is not a bad thing per se.

But ASD can be misleading. For example, if you are cruising at 50 mph, and shift manually and keep the gear such that the RPMs are 5000. If you are keeping your speed constant and the engine isn't under load, the natural sound of the engine is pretty quiet - with ASD off and the windows up, it's hard to tell with your ears that the RPM is 5000. With ASD on, the sound is pretty loud. But yet the engine isn't under a load, so it's misleading. With ASD off, as soon as you step on the gas and put the engine under load, you can tell with your ears what's going on.

However, Sport/Sport+ modes now only add the pops/bangs/burbles - there is no overall increase in engine or exhaust sound volume. In fact, generally, with Fuse 203 pulled and ASD off, the noise volume in Sport/Sport+ is still decreased over stock with ASD on. The sound, in my opinion, is better, but nonetheless still quieter.

For those worried about a highway drone with Fuse 203 pulled (ASD off): there is no drone. The car is still a lot quieter than stock with ASD on.

For those worried that Eco and Comfort modes will now be noisy with Fuse 203 pulled (ASD off): in low-speed driving around town, there is a deeper, richer engine noise that is maybe 80% of the volume of ASD at those speeds. But the sound isn't inside the car - it's behind the car. So I think the net effect is that the cabin experience is quieter.

Can you or anyone confirm that this step is exactly the same for the 2020 year car?

[harperium]

I took my '19 X3 M40i in for the backup camera recall last week.

I told them in advance I had Fuse 218 pulled (ASD) and Fuse 203 pulled (exhaust).

My iDrive was version Q-something

When I picked up the car, the tech said they had to put Fuse 203 back in because it was throwing an error (not a CEL but some other internal error that prevented them from doing the software upgrade/coding). But then they pulled again Fuse 203 afterward.

My iDrive is now version S-something

Based on some discussion here about Fuse 203 and when to pull the fuse, e.g. after car warmed up and in Sport mode, etc etc, I'm not sure any of that matters. I think just having Fuse 203 pulled is enough.

[Blacktemplar]

Has anyone measured the difference in ASD when you select the ‘reduced’ setting on ID7? It definitely mutes some of the more grating elements in Sport/Sport+ mode, and isn’t as obtrusive in Comfort but it’s still there to a degree.

[Blacktemplar]

Tried this today....

1. Didn’t start car, pulled fuse 203 then drove in Comfort - left valve stayed shut

2. Replaced fuse, drove in Sport for half an hour, parked in Sport with engine running & pulled fuse. Switched to comfort while engine still running, valve stayed open.

Good solution, thanks. Didn’t pull the ASD fuse, although I have HK I prefer running ASD in reduced mode as the car is too quiet inside otherwise.

[bluemark]

Pulled fuse 218 yesterday and surprised at the reduction in noise pumped into the cabin. This is much better for my day to day life with the M40i while still being able to enjoy enough of the actual sounds the B58 and exhaust produces.

[Tui Creations]

Great thread, thanks.
Pulled fuse 218 today and seriously better, enjoying driving my X3 M40i a lot more and its appears to have improved the HK sound without all that interference as well.

Personally I have always hated synthesized fake engine noise inside a car. If the car is naturally quiet inside that's fine (I can always wind down the windows) if its naturally loud that's also fine but if I am going to listen to and enjoy the engine sounds I want them to be the real thing.

My teenage nephew has a suzuki swift and has an engine noise synthesizer he found on eBay fitted so inside he can make it sound like a V8 or a Ferrari etc. etc. (outside it still sounds like a sewing machine) Much as I love BMW, I personally think fake engine sounds are pretty pathetic but unfortunately they seem to be very common in lots of models these days.

My last car was a Holden LS3 6.2 liter (378 cubic inch) 430hp V8 and even that had induction noise piped into the cab. That thing absolutely roared when you put your foot down and certainly didn't need any piped noise added so that was also disconnected pretty smartly.

[satz]

I too pulled fuse 218 today on my 2019 M40i. My first mod!
Really quietens things down on the highway. A bit too much. Can barely hear the exhaust even on acceleration on Sport mode.

Has anyone put a switch in place of the fuse, perhaps connected to a button on the dash so you can switch the ASD on and off as you wish?

[plainmaster]

Originally Posted by boneart

Great thread, thanks.
Pulled fuse 218 today and seriously better, enjoying driving my X3 M40i a lot more and its appears to have improved the HK sound without all that interference as well.

Personally I have always hated synthesized fake engine noise inside a car. If the car is naturally quiet inside that's fine (I can always wind down the windows) if its naturally loud that's also fine but if I am going to listen to and enjoy the engine sounds I want them to be the real thing.

My teenage nephew has a suzuki swift and has an engine noise synthesizer he found on eBay fitted so inside he can make it sound like a V8 or a Ferrari etc. etc. (outside it still sounds like a sewing machine) Much as I love BMW, I personally think fake engine sounds are pretty pathetic but unfortunately they seem to be very common in lots of models these days.

My last car was a Holden LS3 6.2 liter (378 cubic inch) 430hp V8 and even that had induction noise piped into the cab. That thing absolutely roared when you put your foot down and certainly didn't need any piped noise added so that was also disconnected pretty smartly.

What year is your M40i?

[Tui Creations]

Originally Posted by plainmaster

What year is your M40i?

First registered 2019 but I believe European manufacture late 2018.

[plainmaster]

Originally Posted by boneart

First registered 2019 but I believe European manufacture late 2018.

Argh!
Looking for an easy way to disable ASD in a 2020.

[satz]

Managed to find a circuit that (hopefully) allows you to activate/deactivate fuse 218 by remote control, so you can choose to have the synthesised exhaust sound on or off, without having to pull or replace the actual fuse each time

Would it be okay to do this while the engine is running? I'm assuming it would be okay as there are no mechanical/vacuum parts involved?

[satz]

I've installed the remote-control circuit that allows you to activate or deactivate the fuse that controls ASD (fuse 218). See my new thread.

Satz

[M40i-K]

Originally Posted by plainmaster

Argh!
Looking for an easy way to disable ASD in a 2020.

Are you saying that pulling the fuse doesn’t work on latest models??

My M40i should arrive next month, and pulling the fuse was going to be the first thing I did beyond picking up the keys.

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by M40i-K

Are you saying that pulling the fuse doesn’t work on latest models??

My M40i should arrive next month, and pulling the fuse was going to be the first thing I did beyond picking up the keys.

Setting ASD to "reduced" in the Drive is quite effective.

I can't say I've noticed any ASD in Reduced mode but I've not heard the car with it totally disabled.

[M40i-K]

Cheers clive2m. Will see how it goes, and look at options to code it out if need be

[sbt007]

Originally Posted by M40i-K

Are you saying that pulling the fuse doesn’t work on latest models??

My M40i should arrive next month, and pulling the fuse was going to be the first thing I did beyond picking up the keys.

Originally Posted by plainmaster

Argh!
Looking for an easy way to disable ASD in a 2020.

Just FYI to anyone interested. I just looked at the fuse box in a 2021, it looks exactly the same as this thread. Also looked on the left side. Did not open up anything, but I can feel a smaller separate box on the back, so I'd say we still have a separate ASD box as well. I have the HK audio.

[FLM40i]

I pulled the ASD fuse on my 2020 and it is disabled. The HK sounds better to me now like others have said. For those with a 2020 or 21 just pull the fuse and go for a drive and see if you like it. If now just pop it back in. I didn’t try reduced in the ID7 as I think you can lose some exhaust sound with that on unless I misunderstood some other posts. I like the real exhaust sound.

[satz]

Does the exhaust valve do any other function apart from noise reduction?
I recall a few years ago a BMW master tech telling me that the exhaust valve (on my 335i) also had something to do with keeping the right amount of back pressure in the exhaust at certain rpms? Maybe for smoothness?

[sbt007]

Originally Posted by FLM40i

I pulled the ASD fuse on my 2020 and it is disabled. The HK sounds better to me now like others have said. For those with a 2020 or 21 just pull the fuse and go for a drive and see if you like it. If now just pop it back in. I didn’t try reduced in the ID7 as I think you can lose some exhaust sound with that on unless I misunderstood some other posts. I like the real exhaust sound.

Yep, some of the later posts in this thread suggested that starting 2020 and iDrive 7 (at least for G20), the ASD functionality is integrated in the main module and so there was no chance of removing the fuse or disconnecting it otherwise except for coding. But luckily the X3 has iDrive 6.5 :-) At least as of MY21 they have not bothered to change the design in G01.